Empowering Our Communties Through Education, Creativity, and Wellness

The Problem
Students lose 2-3 months of academic progress during summer break. Low-income students lose even more. By fifth grade, summer learning loss accounts for two-thirds of the achievement gap.
In Atlanta, where 58% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, summer also means:
    ∙    Food insecurity (school meals disappear)
    ∙    Safety concerns (unsupervised time increases risk)
    ∙    No access to enrichment activities
    ∙    Widening achievement gaps that compound year after year

Our Solution
A 6-8 week intensive summer program combining academic tutoring with creative arts workshops. We keep students learning, fed, safe, and engaged all summer long.

What Students Get
Morning (Academic Focus):
    ∙    Reading and literacy instruction
    ∙    Math tutoring and enrichment
    ∙    Small group support
    ∙    Progress tracking
Afternoon (Creative Workshops):
    ∙    Music production
    ∙    Digital media and technology
    ∙    Visual arts
    ∙    Performance and STEM activities
Plus:
    ∙    Daily breakfast and hot lunch
    ∙    Weekly field trips
    ∙    End-of-summer showcase
    ∙    Safe, structured environment

Impact
    ∙    25-40 students served (scaling from Year 1 pilot)
    ∙    Prevent summer learning loss
    ∙    Address food insecurity
    ∙    Build confidence through creative expression
    ∙    Students return to school ready to succeed

Measurable Goals:
    ∙    100% of students maintain or improve reading levels
    ∙    90%+ attendance
    ∙    Students ready for next grade level

The Problem
In some Atlanta neighborhoods, over 30% of high school students don’t graduate. Black youth unemployment is nearly double the national average. Students are disengaged from traditional education and lack pathways to careers in the creative industries they’re passionate about.
High school dropouts earn $10,000 less annually and are 3.5 times more likely to be incarcerated. Without intervention, talented young people fall through the cracks.

Our Solution
An 8-12 week program where high school students write and record an original song AND design merchandise for their personal brand. This is workforce development disguised as creative expression.
Students learn audio engineering, graphic design, screen printing, and entrepreneurship. They leave with a portfolio, real skills, and pathways to careers in Atlanta’s creative economy.

What Students Do
Music:
    ∙    Write and record an original song
    ∙    Learn music production and beat-making
    ∙    Vocal training and performance coaching
    ∙    Studio recording experience
Fashion:
    ∙    Design personal brand and merchandise
    ∙    Screen printing and production
    ∙    Graphic design and marketing
    ∙    Product photography
Business:
    ∙    Build a brand from scratch
    ∙    Social media marketing
    ∙    Financial literacy for creatives
    ∙    Pitch and sell their work
Final Event:
    ∙    Live showcase performance
    ∙    Pop-up shop to sell their merchandise
    ∙    Professional portfolio pieces

Impact
    ∙    30-50 high school students served per cycle
    ∙    Dropout prevention through engagement
    ∙    Marketable skills in design, production, and business
    ∙    Connections to internships and jobs in creative industries
    ∙    Students leave with something they’re proud of

The Problem
African Americans are 3.5 times more likely to develop kidney failure. One in three Black adults is at risk for kidney disease without knowing it.Atlanta’s underserved communities also face:
    ∙    Limited access to preventive healthcare
    ∙    Few safe spaces for physical activity
    ∙    Higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease
    ∙    Life expectancy 4-5 years lower than the state average

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Our Solution
An annual community 5K race and wellness festival that provides FREE health screenings, kidney disease education, and a celebration of community wellness.
This isn’t just a run - it’s a health intervention that brings critical resources to neighborhoods that need them most.

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What Happens
Race Day:
    ∙    5K timed race (3.1 miles)
    ∙    1-mile family fun run/walk
    ∙    All fitness levels welcome
Wellness Festival:
    ∙    FREE kidney health screenings
    ∙    FREE blood pressure and diabetes checks
    ∙    Health education booths
    ∙    Fitness demonstrations
    ∙    Healthy food vendors
    ∙    Kids activities
Entertainment:
    ∙    Live performance by ZaRio
    ∙    Local artists and musicians
    ∙    Awards ceremony
Memorial:
    ∙    Tribute to those lost to kidney disease
    ∙    Memory wall for community stories

Who Can Participate
Everyone. Runners, walkers, families, people who just want health screenings - all welcome.

FREE race entry for students and low-income families (sponsored slots available).

Impact
2027 Goals:
    ∙    500-1,000 participants
    ∙    FREE health screenings for 300+ people
    ∙    Early detection that could save lives
    ∙    Connect people to follow-up care and resources
    ∙    Raise funds for kidney disease research
    ∙    Create annual tradition that grows every year